Mediterranean

Mediterranean journalists back investigative work, FOI, training and women's equal rights

While pundits bemoan the demise of U.S. investigative journalism (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-wild-and-margaret-engel/the-demise-of-investigati_b_174438.html), Francophone Mediterranean media still carry the mantle and seek to boost its practice in coming years.

"We, 40 professional journalists of the Mediterranean basin countries...gathered during the Menton Media Méditerranée (MMM), agree on these bases of journalistic practice: accuracy, systematic verification of information, differentiation between news and views, and support for investigative work," said participants at a conference in the southern French city of Menton.

The declaration by journalists from 17 countries acknowledged differences but underlined common ground and urged Mediterranean-focused organizations, governments, and associations to uphold the right to freedom of information for the 450 million residents of their countries.

It also called for the ability of journalists to practice their profession "in all freedom and security" as well as "the need to ensure equal opportunities, equal pay and access to positions of responsibility for women."

The "Menton Declaration" followed two days of heated debate on issues ranging from journalists barred from coverage of the recent Israeli onslaught on Gaza, to harassment and assassination, living with dictatorships, protection of sources, conflict of interest, pressure from advertisers and dealing with new media.

Reactions to the declaration were mixed, notably on the definition of press freedom and the listing of countries that violated it.

"The Kurdish question always leads to some form of censorship and political Islam is another debate causing bipolarity in Turkey," said Erol Onderoglu, a Turkish activist and editor for the IPS Communications Foundation's website (www.bianet.org/english).

Veteran Croatian journalist Silvia Luks said she was a war correspondent in numerous places but could not perform the same way in her own once war-torn country that was part of ex-Yugoslavia. "I didn't want to betray the profession and my country Croatia," she said.

Compatriot Visnja Staresina, meanwhile, said she gave up daily reporting to become a freelancer and work on a documentary.

Egyptian Randa Achmawi said since the presidency of the late Gamal Abdel Nasser (1953-1970), Egypt hasn't known real press freedom, and pointed to a roller coaster ride for the media since President Hosni Mubarak took over in 1981.

"There are countless journalists who have been jailed when they've run afoul of the government," she said. "There are over 30 laws to trip journalists in Egypt. If they don't pay the fines, they end up rotting in jail and opposition papers suffer from lack of information access."

Achmawi, of Egypt's French-language weekly Al Ahram Hebdo, was awarded the first Menton Media Med prize in recognition of her journalistic efforts to promote Mediterranean values. French freelancer Caroline Poiron received the photography prize.